Papers, Please Downloads & RevenuePapers, Please · App Store & Google Play
Papers, Please gets 500+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Papers, Please by 3909 is on App Store and Google Play. Active Users (MAU & DAU), Downloads, rankings, keywords, revenue, and rating totals.
Full timeline · 51 events in the last 12 months
- 🚀Papers, Please: now shown next to Devil's Attorney, Do Not Feed The Monkeys, Black Border Patrol Simulator +3 moreAndroidthe store's “similar apps” for it changed: who it's seen as competing with
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Games · PL
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new countryAndroidBrazil
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, IT, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, IT, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, IT, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · All Apps · ES
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10AndroidTop Paid · All Games · ES
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10AndroidTop Paid · Role Playing · ES
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100 in 2 chartsAndroidTop Paid · All Games · ES · Top Paid · All Games · MX
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100 in 2 chartsAndroidTop Grossing · Role Playing · ES · Top Grossing · Role Playing · IT
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new countryAndroidSpain
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10 in 3 chartsiOSTop Paid · Simulation · DE · Top Paid · Games · IT · Top Paid · Simulation · SA
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new countryAndroidItaly
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Games · AR
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100AndroidTop Paid · All Games · TH
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100AndroidTop Grossing · Role Playing · MX
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Games · SE
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10 in 3 chartsAndroidTop Paid · Role Playing · MX · Top Paid · Role Playing · NL · Top Paid · Role Playing · TH
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new country in 2 chartsAndroidMexico · Thailand
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10 in 2 chartsAndroidTop Paid · Role Playing · TR · Top Paid · Role Playing · VN
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100 in 3 chartsAndroidTop Paid · All Games · NL · Top Paid · All Games · TR · Top Paid · All Games · VN
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new country in 3 chartsAndroidNetherlands · Turkey · Vietnam
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Simulation · IN
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Simulation · FR
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Games · ES
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Simulation · CA
- 📈Papers, Please hit #1iOSTop Paid · Role Playing · IT
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 100AndroidTop Paid · All Games · DE
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10AndroidTop Paid · Role Playing · DE
- 📈Papers, Please charting in a new countryAndroidGermany
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10 in 4 chartsiOSTop Paid · Role Playing · AE · Top Paid · Simulation · AE · Top Paid · Simulation · GB · Top Paid · Role Playing · ID
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Role Playing · SA
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10iOSTop Paid · Role Playing · DE
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, ES, IN, JP
- 📈Papers, Please entered the top 10 in 4 chartsiOSTop Paid · Simulation · AU · Top Paid · Role Playing · CA · Top Paid · Role Playing · FR · Top Paid · Simulation · IT
- 🆕Papers, Please first spotted by AppInsiderAndroidUnited States
- 🆕Papers, Please first spotted by AppInsideriOS#39 in Top Paid · All Apps · Australia
- 🌟Papers, Please featured by AppleiOSgames · AU, IN, JP
- 🆕Papers, Please released on Google PlayAndroid
- 🆕Papers, Please released on the App StoreiOS
Collected from the stores by AppInsider since we first spotted the app. Dates are when we saw each change.
Games › Role Playing PaidPapers, Please at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-08. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
A dystopian document thriller where players act as border inspectors in a fictional communist state, targeting fans of narrative-driven strategy and simulation games. The app maintains strong paid rankings across major markets including the US, UK, and Germany, notably securing top positions in the Role Playing category and reaching #6 in Spain's overall paid apps chart.
Similar apps: Reigns, This War of Mine, Beholder
Simulation Pixel Dystopian medium sessions Premium
#narrative #puzzle #indie #strategy #story-rich #single-player
App Store
App details
App privacy Measured
Papers, Please declares it collects no data at all — the rarest and most private label on the App Store.
As declared by the developer on the App Store — Apple requires every app to publish this label. We track changes over time.
Google Play
App details
Papers, Please downloads & installs
Both stores, worldwide. Bands are open; exact numbers are free with an account.
| Store | Downloads / day | Lifetime installs |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | 500+ | 100k+ |
| Google Play | 100+ | 100k+ Measured |
| Total | 500+ Confidence | 500k+ Confidence |
How this is calculated
Where Papers, Please's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend before Apple and Google take their fee.
| Store | Per day | Per month | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | |||
| Google Play | |||
| Total | Confidence | 100% |
Business model: In-app purchase-led
How Papers, Please makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Where it ranks now
Both stores, across every country we track.
| Store | Best rank | Charting in | US Top Free | US Top Grossing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | #3 Games › Role Playing Paid | 27 of 30 countries | – | – |
| Google Play | #3 Games › Role Playing Paid | 12 of 23 countries | – | – |
Full chart lists: App Store · Google Play.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisReview momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
Ratings
Both stores. Store data, measured.
| Store | Rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | 4.7 ★ | 1.2k |
| Google Play | 4.9 ★ | 5.8k 372 written reviews |
| Both stores | 4.9 ★ weighted by ratings | 7k |
What users say about Papers, Please
From the 52 most recent App Store reviews in the US.
Users highly praise the engaging gameplay and successful mobile adaptation of this classic title. However, significant frustration exists regarding technical bugs, lack of landscape mode on iPad, and poor screen fit for modern iPhone notches.
Mostly positive (77% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for being fun, and regular updates. The main complaints are about missing features or content.
What people like
- Fun: “Fun, challenging, addictive”
- Updates: “Please update for more of the newer devices”
- Ease of use: “This game was extremely fun, it has a good plot, not too easy, and every choice decides your fate the graphics are good and runs very smoothly”
- Design: “And the UI is absolutely amazing!”
Common complaints
- Features & content
About Papers, Please
The award-winning, critically-acclaimed border inspector game.
______________________________________
"Congratulations."
"The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled."
"For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint."
"An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling."
"Glory to Arstotzka."
______________________________________
Awards
◉ Best Game of 2013 - The New Yorker
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Wired Magazine
◉ Top Indie Game 2013 - Forbes Magazine
◉ Best Strategy & Simulation Game 2014 - BAFTA
◉ Grand Prize Winner 2014 - Independent Games Festival
◉ Excellence in Design Winner - IGF 2014
◉ Excellence in Narrative Winner - IGF 2014
◉ GameCity Prize Winner 2014 - GameCity
◉ Cultural Innovation Award 2013 - SXSW
◉ Best PC Game 2014 - LARA Game Awards
◉ Innovation Award - GDCA 2014
◉ Most Innovative 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Gameplay 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Ars Technica
◉ Best Game of 2013 - PC World
◉ Best PC Game of 2013 - Destructoid
◉ Best Story of 2013 - Destructoid
... and more
______________________________________
Story
The communist state of Arstotzka has just ended a 6-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its rightful half of the border town, Grestin.
Your job as immigration inspector is to control the flow of people entering the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the throngs of immigrants and visitors looking for work are hidden smugglers, spies, and terrorists.
Using only the documents provided by travelers and the Ministry of Admission's primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems you must decide who can enter Arstotzka and who will be turned away or arrested.
______________________________________
Features
Includes the complete original game with all 31 days and 20 endings. Also adds unlockable multitouch support for faster paperwork, an enhanced inspection mode, Game Center achievements, leaderboards, mid-day resume, and more.
______________________________________
Warning
This game contains mature themes, non-photographic nudity, and brief moments of pixelated violence.
Papers, Please App Store
Papers, Please gets 500+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Papers, Please is #8 in Games › Role Playing Paid in United States and charting in 27 of 30 countries we track.
Updated 8 Nov 2026 · rankings refresh through the day
24 Sep 2026
Games › Role Playing PaidPapers, Please at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-08. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
A dystopian document thriller where players act as border inspectors in a fictional communist state, targeting fans of narrative-driven strategy and simulation games. The app maintains strong paid rankings across major markets including the US, UK, and Germany, notably securing top positions in the Role Playing category and reaching #6 in Spain's overall paid apps chart.
Similar apps: Reigns, This War of Mine, Beholder
Simulation Pixel Dystopian medium sessions Premium
#narrative #puzzle #indie #strategy #story-rich #single-player
Papers, Please on the App Store
App details
App privacy Measured
Papers, Please declares it collects no data at all — the rarest and most private label on the App Store.
As declared by the developer on the App Store — Apple requires every app to publish this label. We track changes over time.
Papers, Please downloads
Worldwide, per day, and installs to date. The band is open; the exact number is free with an account.
How this is calculated
Where Papers, Please's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend in Papers, Please before Apple and Google take their fee.
How this is calculated
Business model: In-app purchase-led
How Papers, Please makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Where it ranks now
Every top chart it appears in across 30 countries.
Spain
Brazil
Canada
France
Japan
Poland
South Korea
Russia
Sweden
Colombia
Argentina
Malaysia
Philippines
South AfricaApps near Papers, Please on the chart
Games › Role Playing Paid, around #8.
Ratings
App Store, worldwide.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisReview momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
What users say about Papers, Please
From the 52 most recent App Store reviews in the US.
Users highly praise the engaging gameplay and successful mobile adaptation of this classic title. However, significant frustration exists regarding technical bugs, lack of landscape mode on iPad, and poor screen fit for modern iPhone notches.
Mostly positive (77% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for being fun, and regular updates. The main complaints are about missing features or content.
What people like
- Fun: “Fun, challenging, addictive”
- Updates: “Please update for more of the newer devices”
- Ease of use: “This game was extremely fun, it has a good plot, not too easy, and every choice decides your fate the graphics are good and runs very smoothly”
- Design: “And the UI is absolutely amazing!”
Common complaints
- Features & content
About Papers, Please
The award-winning, critically-acclaimed border inspector game.
______________________________________
"Congratulations."
"The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled."
"For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint."
"An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling."
"Glory to Arstotzka."
______________________________________
Awards
◉ Best Game of 2013 - The New Yorker
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Wired Magazine
◉ Top Indie Game 2013 - Forbes Magazine
◉ Best Strategy & Simulation Game 2014 - BAFTA
◉ Grand Prize Winner 2014 - Independent Games Festival
◉ Excellence in Design Winner - IGF 2014
◉ Excellence in Narrative Winner - IGF 2014
◉ GameCity Prize Winner 2014 - GameCity
◉ Cultural Innovation Award 2013 - SXSW
◉ Best PC Game 2014 - LARA Game Awards
◉ Innovation Award - GDCA 2014
◉ Most Innovative 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Gameplay 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Ars Technica
◉ Best Game of 2013 - PC World
◉ Best PC Game of 2013 - Destructoid
◉ Best Story of 2013 - Destructoid
... and more
______________________________________
Story
The communist state of Arstotzka has just ended a 6-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its rightful half of the border town, Grestin.
Your job as immigration inspector is to control the flow of people entering the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the throngs of immigrants and visitors looking for work are hidden smugglers, spies, and terrorists.
Using only the documents provided by travelers and the Ministry of Admission's primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems you must decide who can enter Arstotzka and who will be turned away or arrested.
______________________________________
Features
Includes the complete original game with all 31 days and 20 endings. Also adds unlockable multitouch support for faster paperwork, an enhanced inspection mode, Game Center achievements, leaderboards, mid-day resume, and more.
______________________________________
Warning
This game contains mature themes, non-photographic nudity, and brief moments of pixelated violence.
Latest updates
More from 3909
Papers, Please Android
Papers, Please gets 500+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Papers, Please is #4 in Games › Role Playing Paid on Google Play in United States and charting in 12 of 23 countries we track.
Updated 8 Nov 2026 · rankings refresh through the day
Games › Role Playing PaidPapers, Please at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-07. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
A dystopian document thriller where players act as a border inspector in the fictional state of Arstotzka, making moral and logistical decisions about who to admit or reject. The app is currently ranking highly in paid role-playing charts across diverse markets including Great Britain, Vietnam, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, indicating strong global demand for its premium pricing model.
Similar apps: Beholder, This War of Mine, Papers, Please (PC)
Simulation Pixel Dystopian medium sessions Premium
#narrative #puzzle #indie #story-driven #bureaucracy #single-player
Papers, Please on Google Play
App details
Papers, Please downloads
Worldwide, per day, and installs to date. The band is open; the exact number is free with an account.
How this is calculated
Where Papers, Please's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend in Papers, Please before Apple and Google take their fee.
How this is calculated
Business model: In-app purchase-led
How Papers, Please makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Where it ranks on Google Play
Every top 200 chart it appears in across 23 countries.
| Country | Charts | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
| United Kingdom | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #3 |
 Germany | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #3 |
| United States | All GamesPaid | #48 |
 India | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #3 |
| United Kingdom | All GamesPaid | #32 |
 Mexico | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
| Germany | All GamesPaid | #38 |
 Indonesia | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
 Saudi Arabia | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
 United Arab Emirates | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
 Turkey | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
 Netherlands | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
 Vietnam | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #3 |
 Thailand | Games › Role PlayingPaid | #4 |
| Saudi Arabia | All GamesPaid | #63 |
| Turkey | All GamesPaid | #43 |
| United Kingdom | Games › Role PlayingGrossing | #162 |
| Mexico | All GamesPaid | #92 |
| United Arab Emirates | All GamesPaid | #63 |
| Netherlands | All GamesPaid | #63 |
| Mexico | Games › Role PlayingGrossing | #98 |
| Vietnam | All GamesPaid | #55 |
| Turkey | Games › Role PlayingGrossing | #138 |
Apps near Papers, Please on the chart
Games › Role Playing Paid, around #4.
Ratings
Google Play, worldwide.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisReview momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
What users say about Papers, Please
From the 108 most recent Google Play reviews in the US.
Users overwhelmingly praise the game's authentic atmosphere, engaging narrative, and high-quality port from PC to mobile. However, a significant number of negative reviews focus on critical UI bugs that render the inspection button inaccessible on Samsung Fold devices and tablets.
Mostly positive (84% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for being fun, and being easy to use. The main complaints are about crashes and bugs, and price and subscriptions.
What people like
- Fun: “absolutely addicting gameplay”
- Ease of use: “Simple and yet its certainly one of the best mobile games there is”
- Price & subscription: “Very entertaining, great value for money!”
- Crashes & bugs: “I love this game I've watched playthroughs of it on YouTube, however I believe there's a bug”
Common complaints
- Crashes & bugs: “glitchy, cant access tools vital to make the game function, I want my money back 😭 not device compatible”
- Price & subscription: “glitchy, cant access tools vital to make the game function, I want my money back 😭 not device compatible”
- Design: “How can an update forever ruin the UI?”
About Papers, Please
The award-winning, critically-acclaimed border inspector game.
______________________________________
The communist state of Arstotzka has just ended a 6-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its rightful half of the border town, Grestin.
Your job as immigration inspector is to control the flow of people entering the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the throngs of immigrants and visitors looking for work are hidden smugglers, spies, and terrorists.
Using only the documents provided by travelers and the Ministry of Admission's primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems you must decide who can enter Arstotzka and who will be turned away or arrested.
______________________________________
Warning
This game contains mature themes, non-photographic nudity, and brief moments of pixelated violence.
______________________________________
Awards
◉ Best Game of 2013 - The New Yorker
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Wired Magazine
◉ Top Indie Game 2013 - Forbes Magazine
◉ Best Strategy & Simulation Game 2014 - BAFTA
◉ Grand Prize Winner 2014 - Independent Games Festival
◉ Excellence in Design Winner - IGF 2014
◉ Excellence in Narrative Winner - IGF 2014
◉ GameCity Prize Winner 2014 - GameCity
◉ Cultural Innovation Award 2013 - SXSW
◉ Best PC Game 2014 - LARA Game Awards
◉ Innovation Award - GDCA 2014
◉ Most Innovative 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Gameplay 2014 - Games For Change
◉ Best Game of 2013 - Ars Technica
◉ Best Game of 2013 - PC World
◉ Best PC Game of 2013 - Destructoid
◉ Best Story of 2013 - Destructoid
... and more
What's new in 1.4.15
* Fix EZIC puzzle card overlap alignment in zh, ukr, and ko localizations
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